Matilda McNamara: loving her surroundings and embracing the challenge

By Kieran Yap

Above: Matilda McNamara in action for AGF. Photo: AGF.dk official website


Matilda McNamara is feeling re-energised. The former Adelaide United defender has just come off one of the most envy inspiring off-seasons a player could wish for, and after helping Danish club AGF survive a relegation battle, it feels well earned.

Having three consecutive weeks off has been a rare thing for Australia’s female footballers. Historically, many have gone from A-League Women immediately into another league or to NPLW teams. A quick look through McNamara’s holiday snaps on her Instagram page make it look like she has travelled through a fairy tale.

“Me and a friend, we drove down south, got to Germany, Austria and went to a few of the nice lakes there,” she said to Impetus Football.  

“We did that for a about a week, and it was really lovely to get into the sunshine and out of Denmark.

“We went camping for a bit. A couple of places we went to have no phone service. It was really nice to have a disconnect from the world for a second.

“Adelaide is always going to be home for me, but I very much enjoy living here and enjoy coming back here.

“I had these three weeks, I could have gone back to Australia if I wanted to, but I felt staying in Europe was really nice, and I very much enjoy where I live, it’s a great spot in the world.”

Life off the pitch has been rewarding, but the move overseas has been a success in a football sense too. McNamara left Australia as one of the league’s best centre backs. She is able to defend or attack the ball in the air, but is blessed with rare pace for her position and was never hesitant to use it to drive the ball into attack.

The South Australian has represented the national team at every age level, and is seen by many as crucial to the Matildas defensive stocks in future.

Despite the impressive CV, a move to Europe always carries a risk. It seems to have paid off, with McNamara starting almost every match in the heart of AGF’s defence and excelling in a series of must-win games toward the end of the season.

Denmark and AGF was not a speculative move. McNamara was sought out by the manager at the time, and that along with her experience in the A-League Women put her in good stead to adjust to the new surroundings.

“The coach at the time here was somebody who used to play at Adelaide, Katrine Pederson. She actually just reached out to me. Denmark was a very good way to find my feet in Europe instead of going to a team and not playing.

“For me, being a little bit older, being in the starting XI was really important to me.

“That was really nice that she reached out to me, also not really having much of a language barrier was a big thing for me.

“To be able to connect with my teammates and make some really good friends here… it all kind of worked out nicely.

“Luckily while I was at Adelaide, I had a couple of different coaches. You kind of get used to different setups. The main difference is the playing style here. In Australia it is much more physical and high intensity. Here it is very much ball based and possession based.”

McNamara’s days during the season are busy. The football program is intense, and any other time is devoted to studying. She is completing a degree in Data Science which offers a nice change of focus, but also requires commitment.

The dual responsibilities offer a balance to her lifestyle, which help with the demands of high pressure sport.

“A couple of days are full on football days. We get up in the morning, go straight to training. Train for a few hours then get some food, do meeting, then go to the gym and usually more meetings.

“Usually I head to the library after that, or go to a friend’s for dinner on those days.

“Then on the days where we train in the evening, because I’m still studying online, I get myself somewhere like a café or the library and do my work for a few hours then get through to training.

“It’s kind of a hybrid setup with the club I’m at, which works out well for me having to do so much schoolwork.

“The professional days at the club, we’re there from about 7am  to 3pm, it’s a long days but it’s good to get a lot of time on the park, in the gym and with the team.”

It was a pressure filled season for McNamara and AGF in 2022/23. She played every minute of the campaign, and was faced with the unfamiliar proposition of a relegation playoff. It was not something she had faced in the A-League Women or with Adelaide City in the NPLW.

McNamara excelled for the club, scoring in the 2-2 draw with Aalborg to ensure AGF stayed up in Denmark’s top division. Although the experience of a relegation battle was tense, it was something that she relished.

“It was very strange experience,” she said

“If we didn’t survive it, I would be going somewhere else, which is a very weird feeling to have to move because your team doesn’t do well.

“I think it’s such an important part of football, and I would love to see it in Australia sometime.

It just puts higher stakes on games, even if you’re at the bottom of the table you’re still playing for something which I really like.

“If you’re not competing for the title, you’re still competing on some level.

“I was optimistic of what our team could achieve, we had a lot of narrow losses the first half of our season which looking into the season coming up we need to finish games a bit more professionally.

“It was a good experience to have, to know that we can’t let games slip away that easily. At the end of the day winning is more important than playing well when you’re at the bottom of the table.”

Her final season at Adelaide United saw the Reds make finals for the first time in their history. To achieve that, they had to grind out some results, and more importantly every point mattered. It put McNamara in good stead to handle the pressure of a relegation battle, even if the stakes were higher.

She maintains strong links with the club, and trained with United over the Christmas break. She follows their results closely from Denmark where she will remain for at least next season.

Nevertheless, Matilda McNamra remains a popular figure in Australian women’s football. On a NPLW themed podcast by fellow South Australian Nicole Blackett (nee Tilly) she was named in an all-time team by Adelaide United captain Isobel Hodgson.

On that same episode, a new nickname dropped for the star centre back. Fan’s have called her Tilly Mac, but the latest moniker was “Eminem.” This was news to her.

“I really don’t have a preferred nickname, I hadn’t heard of Eminem either that could be a nice one. Till or Macca, Eminem I guess is an option now, but I’m pretty easy as far as nicknames go.”

Whatever we want to call her, the reputation remains the same. She is of Australia’s finest centre backs and A-League Women exports.

AGF start their new season on August 26.

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Spain emerge victorious: World Cup Final analysis

In her debut article for Impetus, Aimee-Lou Caldecourt reflects on the World Cup Final, looking at how Spain won the day against an England side who grew into the tournament (21/8/23).

Above: Spain lift the World Cup at Stadium Australia last night. Photo: SEFutbolFem.

Joy for Spain, heartbreak for England, but how did Spain get it right and how did England get it wrong?

Starting with the starting XIs before the game, looking at them at face value, it emphasised how difficult the two sides would be to break down. England remained unchanged from their 3-1 semi-final win over Australia. Sarina Wiegman had the option of Lauren James to start as well following her suspension but opted to keep her on the bench until the start of the second half.

The one change for Spain, bringing in talented youngster Salma Paralluelo for the experienced two times Ballon D’Or winner Alexia Putellas. Not only for that drop of youth, but Paralluelo has had a huge impact on this Spain side all tournament, scoring a few goals in the process, Putellas having only just come back from an ACL injury a few months ago, the injury which saw her out of the 2022 Euro campaign. Paralluelo became the first teenager to start in a World Cup final since the 1999 tournament.

In the early stages of the game, the advanced wingback role which Wiegman’s England side took on with Lucy Bronze on the right and Rachel Daly on the left seemed to be working going forward, but when Spain attacked, they wouldn’t gather close enough to form what was akin to a back five with the three defenders to stop the progess forward onto goal. Spain seemed to be a much harder team to make the 3-4-1-2 formation work against, which explains why Wiegman opted for the back four instead for the second half.

From the start, it was obvious that Spain would capitalise on the fact that the wingbacks were more focused on the attacking side of their role, so they were able to float crosses into the box easily and were given enough space to do so. This was especially seen with the influence of Ona Battle on the left channel creating many of the first-half chances as Bonmati, who was outstanding, a difficult player to shut down in a high-stakes game.

Spain were able to exploit England. There was some hesitance to shoot and most of England’s forward momentum was then passed back to the defence which in the past had helped England create chances, but against Spain, this looked quite the opposite.

But it wasn’t all doom and gloom for England, Lauren Hemp was by far the most clinical of them all today, hitting the crossbar early on. She found herself in positions where she collected the ball, but couldn’t see past Catalina Coll.

Above: Spain’s young star Salma Paralluelo with the World Cup last night. Photo: SEFutbolFem.

Spain’s goal came from some high-quality football. Lucy Bronze lost the ball to Abelleira and found Caldentey in the space which Bronze would usually have been occupying. Caldentey drove it forward until Olga Carmona ran on and shot just past the gloves of Mary Earps into the bottom right corner.

After the goal, England started to crumble and their shape began to fall apart. Spain were constantly looking for a way to regain possession once lost, sometimes playing two-on-one to pressurise. The only thing saving this misshaped England side was misplaced passes in the final third.

Halftime couldn’t have come quick enough for Wiegman’s side and the Lionesses head coach made two changes, taking off Russo and Daly and replacing them with James and Kelly. This enabled the side to revert to the usual back four which was the go-to before this tournament.

It’s worth noting the penalty call as well. After protests, the decision went to VAR and after a hefty amount of time rewatching the event, referee Tori Penso announced the penalty. Hermoso stepped up, hesitated slightly, giving Earps the opportunity to see which way the ball was going and keep England in the game.

As soon as the Spanish found the way to break down this England side, the game was won. Going into the game, England fans were quietly confident, despite the less convincing wins throughout the tournament. England never really got going in the game, they never really tested Coll.

In addition, the tournament was also rocky for Spain who needed to find their feet again after the heavy defeat to Japan in the group and the unrest that proceeded the World Cup.

All credit goes to Spain as tactically and technically, they were the better side. This is only the start of amazing things for both sides with so much young talent in the works.

Teams: SPAIN (4-3-3): Coll, Batlle, Paredes, Codina, Carmona, Bonmati, Abelleira, Hermoso, Redondo, Paralluelo, Caldentey. Substitutes used: Hernandez (for Redondo 60’), Andres (for Codina 70’), Putellas (for Caldentey 90’).

Scorer: Carmona 29′.

ENGLAND (3-4-1-2): Earps, Carter, Bright, Greenwood, Bronze, Stanway, Walsh, Daly, Toone, Hemp, Russo. Substitutes used: James (for Russo 46’), Kelly (for Daly 46’), England (for Toone 87’).

Referee: Tori Penso.

Attendance: 75,784.

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This is Aimee-Lou Caldecourt’s debut article for Impetus, to read her writers’ bio and those of all our contributors, click here: https://impetusfootball.org/about-our-contributors/

The Matildas and Gustavsson made history, but adjustments are needed for Paris

By Kieran Yap 20/8/23

Above: The Matildas thank the fans following defeat to Sweden. Image: Football Australia

Australia’s top four finish at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup was a vindication of the last four years of tough decisions. There could be more ahead for the players and manager.

The Matildas have finished fourth in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. In the immediate aftermath of a lacklustre loss to Sweden in the third-place playoff, this feels like a failure. In the context of the tournament’s history and the last four years of The Matildas, it is a remarkable achievement.

Prior to this tournament, the last host to lift the trophy was the USA in 1999. The last time a home team got beyond the quarter finals was in 2003. The common notion is that hosting a World Cup gives you a once in a lifetime chance to win it. The statistics show that there is no correlation between the two.

Here is what was achieved at this World Cup. The Matildas finished the highest any senior Australian team has at a World Cup, men’s or women’s, Australia won two knockout games for the first time in our history, The Matildas won a penalty shootout, forever banishing the ghosts of the 2016 Olympics and the 2019 World Cup.

Australia have also routinely beaten European opposition. The Republic of Ireland and Denmark were defeated, overcoming the most pressing issue to come out of the last four years.

Almost immediately after being eliminated by Norway and suffering a surprise loss to Italy in 2019, most of the senior Matildas moved to Europe. That was where the future of the game was, and being able to compete with these nations would be essential.

It took until 2022, and wins over Denmark and Sweden to accomplish this convincingly, but it helped set the stage for this World Cup, and vindicated the sacrifices the players had all made.

When Tony Gustavsson first took over the national side, and the team suffered immediate and huge losses to German and Denmark a top four finish looked incredibly unlikely. The manager continued to press ahead with program of unprecedented difficulty. Improvement was not always instantly apparent, but the graph trended upwards over time to get to now.

The final result is a historic run at a World Cup in front of live crowds and tv audiences the like of which the Women’s game has never seen. On the way there have been highlights delivered and memories created that will last a lifetime, long after the disappointment of the last two games is barely a thought.

That is not to say that everything went to plan, or that the team reached their full potential. Overall history will record this as a successful run, but a closer look shows some issues that need to be addressed for the Paris Olympics should Australia qualify.

The Kyah Simon selection has to go down as a mistake. She is an all time great and a unique footballer, but it was always a risk taking a player with a long term injury into a major tournament. Gustavsson has since said that she was on schedule to return but suffered a setback after the deadline which meant she was unable to play.

In hindsight, this meant that once Sam Kerr and Mary Fowler were unavailable, Australia had no backup centre forward. Simon’s selection was a gamble that did not pay off.

Guatavsson’s use of substitutions will also rightly come under scrutiny. It seems to be a trend of the modern game to make subs late, and having won more games than lost it is understandable why Gustavsson did not want to mess with consistency despite the drawbacks.

That loss proved fateful for the rest of the tournament. A win in the second game would have guaranteed qualification for the knockout stages. More squad players could have been given game time against Canada and others rested.

Instead, The Matildas were forced into a series of must win games, where not risk could be taken. The Denmark game seems straightforward now, but in the moment, had Pernille Harder’s radar been more finely attuned, the result could have gone down to the wire.

That lack of breathing room meant that there was little chance for experimentation.

However, Australia show no significant drop off in form when Charli Grant comes in for Ellie Carpenter or Alex Chidiac for Cortnee Vine. There were still opportunities to rotate some players even in high pressure circumstances.

This is an issue that Gustavsson has said that he will look at, but the “what if?” will always remain, especially as it was visibly obvious that Australia was tiring in the final two games.

The third issue is a lack of a specialist number six or defensive midfielder. Common wisdom says this is an unused Clare Wheeler, but she is not deployed in that role for Everton, nor was she for Fortuna Hjorring or Sydney FC. Wheeler is a mobile, hard running box to box player. She could be used as a stopper, but she prefers to run up and down the pitch rather than left to right to screen the defence and support the strikers.

The truth is, that these players are rare in Australian football. Holly Murray performs the role sporadically for Canberra United, Shay Holman and Taylor Ray for Sydney FC, Amy Jackson for Victory and Leah Davidson for Melbourne City. We know that Emily Van Egmond has not excelled as a defensive player despite dominating in the position for San Diego Wave.

Even after the long absence of Elise Kellond-Knight, no solution was found. Even after the failures of 2019 can be directly linked to “KK” being shifted from that position, was there an attempt to develop someone else who could do the job.

Katrina Gorry, Mary Fowler and Kyra Cooney-Cross were three of Australia’s best and most tireless performers, but particularly against England, Sweden and Nigeria, they were overrun in midfield without a sweeper to mop up.

In time, one will emerge. Sarah Hunter looks like the most likely candidate, but the solution against Nigeria was to have Ellie Carpenter cut inside when Australia had the ball. This resulted in wide open wings for the African side.

The final repetitive issue was a lack of an obvious plan B or C. There clearly was one, as players shifted positions and the team changed formations, but it was not obvious to any onlookers what the team was trying to accomplish when the transition plan had not worked out.

This feels like the only real backward step from The Olympics. In that tournament, Australia rotated the squad each group stage game and used well-timed subs and a major formation shift to overcome Team GB in the quarter-final.

That ability was not really evident in this World Cup, although Australia won more games, finished higher, and scored more goals this last month, the Olympic campaign felt more promising at the time with squad depth used more readily and seamlessly.

Gustavsson has another year left on his contract, there are upcoming Olympic qualifiers just over a month away in Perth. The USA is rumoured to be attempted to poach him, and many are calling for his resignation in Australia.  

His tenure is not certain, no coaches is, but unless three major criteria are not met, he should be allowed to continue and try for an Olympic medal.

  • Does he have any ideas left? If Gustavsson and his staff have tried everything they know and have no more ways to take this team one extra step he should look for a fresh start. I believe he does, the gradual shift in personnel, tactics and improved result show that the team has been on an upward trend. Only he will know if this can be continued by himself.
  • Does he still enjoy the support of the players? This is an unknown, and Football Australia’s review will uncover this. So far, despite the rocky road to now, the players have all shown unwavering support and many have enjoyed the same. The players should be listened to on this subject, or changes made immediately to the way things work if needed.
  • Does he think that Australia can win an Olympic medal? Semifinals at the Olympics and World Cup show that The Matildas can overcome the hump that has plagued them in the past. It shows that Gustavsson was the right man to help them achieve that, but is he the right person to take them one step further? Only he will know that. As a devout analyst of the game, he might have an inkling that this is as far as he is capable of taking them. In many ways, Australia overachieved compared to better-resourced and more battle-hardened teams, but semifinals may be their limit. Just one step below perennial third-placer’s Sweden.

The final point to consider is if there is a realistic, suitable replacement. It is hard to think of one out there currently, especially given the poor results and performances of other nations.

Many Australian pundits like to throw out names like Joe Montemurro, but the Juventus coach has rarely shown an interest in any job outside of the day-to-day business of club land and has no national team program experience.

Mel Andreatta and Leah Blayney are potential senior managers and have both played a big part in forming this current senior side, but even with any game-day deficiencies, Gustavsson’s fourth-place finish at this World Cup has earned him the right to see out his deal.

This was a monumental achievement. It has set a new benchmark and could change the future of the sport in this country for men and women.

It hurts now, and there will always be plenty of work to do, but this was the best performance by an Australian side in senior World Cup history.  In the end, that is how history will remember it.

Australia lost their final two games to teams that most other teams lose to. There’s a gap between us and the other three finalists. More subs would have helped but there are more complex issues at play such as investment in the domestic league and playing more competitive games.

Despite these differences, Gustavsson’s Matildas almost delivered a miracle. Success is within reach.

With some adjustments, they could easily go one better in Paris.

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Gustavsson: “I want to see real investment that shows we’re serious about what we want to do”

Ben Gilby reports on the Matildas’ post-match media conference after their Third Place Play-Off defeat to Sweden as head coach Tony Gustavsson outlined the “serious investment” he wants to see now, and players Caitlin Foord and Alex Chidiac reflected on an incredible month (20/8/23).

Above: Matildas boss Tony Gustavsson at last night’s post-match media conference. Image: CommBank Matildas/Football Australia.

Australia head coach Tony Gustavsson used his post-match media conference after his side’s third-place play-off to call for “serious investment” in the women’s game in the country, outlining the specific areas he believes needs it.

“All I can say is I love working with this team. It resonates with me as a coach – their identity and their ‘why’. I don’t see this as the end of a journey, I see it as a beginning. But I want to be really clear – I want to see investment now, I really do. I want to see real investment that says we’re serious about what we want to do.”

Tony Gustavsson, Australia head coach.

“We have a massive amount of work to do now to capitalise on this. It is a massive achievement for these players if you compare the resources of the top ten-ranked teams. It’s unique. These players, have in some way, overachieved if you look at where they play compared to the top ten nations in terms of how many players do we have in top teams in the top leagues that are starting consistently.

“The FA (Football Australia) will do an in-depth review in a few weeks’ time as they did after the Olympics and Asian Cup. In that review we will learn a lot.

“In terms of investment, there are several key areas – the grassroots and facilities…I’m passionate about the high-performance space. The other area I’m passionate about is the U20 and U23 space. The gap from the youth national team to the national team – we need huge investment in that space. We have seen some players come through where that step is too big.”

Reflecting on the actual match itself, Gustavsson admitted his team found it hard to cope with Sweden’s opening assault, the type of display that saw them overcome Japan in their Quarter-Final tie.

“Sweden came out flying. The first 15 minutes they were all over us – pressing high, very direct in their attack. I don’t think we handled that very well. When we played over that press and started an attack against their backline we had a couple of really good sequences. Then we had that PK that really cost us, it hurt us a lot in terms of the momentum in the game. At the end of the day we lost to a better team tonight.”

After a tough quarter-final with France last Saturday, and a semi-final with England just three days ago, Gustavsson highlighted why he stayed with the same team selection for last nights game in Brisbane.

“If I’d roped in a lot of different players and we lost, then it would have been ‘Why did you change it’? When I said we needed 23 players in 20(23) that doesn’t mean that (all) 23 players should play (a part in the campaign). It was that we needed 23 players. The way the players have stuck together and supported each other, even if it’s the second or third-choice goalkeepers or Kyah Simon…it has been 23 for (20)23.

“In terms of substitutions, we have a clear strategy based on experience and stats. If you look at teams who have gone far in men’s and women’s tournaments continuity of roster have been success factors. The players know this has been a clear strategy. They saw it in the Olympics and they saw it now. We think this might be the reason why we have been able to break barriers, bypass history and create history.

“We did know today that we needed to go to the bench earlier. Trying to find the right time and momentum, when do you do it – unfortunately we conceded that second goal two minutes after we did that double sub. That hurt us a bit tonight.”

The sense is, with the USA potentially circling Gustavsson to be their new head coach, his future could well come down to the powers that be persuading him that they are serious about putting money into the women’s game in Australia to make the future as bright as the present. Football has had so many missed opportunities in the country over the decades gone, it cannot be allowed to happen again.

Above: Caitlin Foord speaking after the match yesterday. Image: CommBankMatildas/Football Australia.

A battered and bruised Caitlin Foord spoke of her mixed emotions after the match as disappointment was combined with pride.

Showing the after-effects of her challenge before half-time with Sweden’s Kosovare Asllani, the Arsenal attacker said: “At this moment we’re fourth in the world but it’s disappointing not to finish the tournament with something round our neck. We feel like we deserved it, we left everything out there, but it wasn’t to be.”

Foord revealed that the true reality of the impact that The Matildas have had on Australia is yet to be fully appreciated by herself and the wider team – something that should change today in their ceremony in Brisbane.

“I never imagined it would get to where it was got now. It’s hard for us to see exactly what has happened in this country as we’re in our little bubble. We did want to change the game here in our country and I think we’ve done that and I think that’s something we can be very proud of.”

Above: Alex Chidiac speaking to the media after last night’s Third Place Play-Off. Image: CommBank Matildas/Football Australia.

Alex Chidiac, who got the second-half minutes that her legion of A-League Women fans have been begging for all tournament, spoke post-match of her belief that whilst the Matildas have ended the World Cup without a medal, their overall impact will have a longer legacy.

“I don’t ever think we dreamed we’d have this big an impact. You’ve seen it after every game. We never used to have that impact on the Australian public, people yelling our names and wanting to be involved. Obviously, it would have been lovely to win tonight or be in the final tomorrow, but ultimately we have something that will last a lot longer.”

Chidiac, a star at Melbourne Victory underlined the importance of Australian fans now embracing the A-League Women in larger numbers with the new season starting in October.

“I’m hoping that off the back of this, we will have a whole bunch of the Australian public going out to (watch) the A-League Women’s competition and support their local clubs. That’s the league we all came from and got us to this point, and we’re really grateful for that support through the league.

“It would make people want to come back (from Europe to play in it), it would make other internationals come here.”

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The ongoing battle to support Human Rights in sport

by Genevieve Henry in Sydney (19/8/23)

Above: From left to right: Craig Foster, Kate Gill, and Minky Worden take part in the event on Thursday. Photo provided to Impetus by: UNSW Australian Human Rights Institute.

The University of New South Wales (UNSW) Australian Human Rights Institute, alongside international nonprofit Human Rights Watch hosted an event regarding human rights and sports, specifically the Women’s World Cup, on Thursday night. This event was held on Bedegal land.

Around 70 attendees were treated to a panel of human rights advocate and author, Minky Worden, former Socceroos captain and activist, Craig Foster, and former Matildas captain Kate Gill, the joint chief executive of Professional Footballers Australia (PFA).

With this momentous sporting event capturing the hearts and livelihoods of the Australian public, it is important to remember the conditions not only surrounding Australia but each and every nation and their women and girls in sport. Although funding and resources have undoubtedly improved in the past few years, far too many women experience injustice and abuse in what should be a professional environment. 

The Matildas have made remarkable strides in achieving equity with the Socceroos, having equal pay, resources, and treatment. However, this was not simply handed to them. The Matildas had to strike to get this support. The US Women’s National Team had to go through scrutinisation and lawsuits to achieve equal pay.

Players from nations such as Norway, Spain, and Canada have had to risk everything for the hope of fair treatment. But, even if individual teams can fight for their own equality, FIFA will only award the women a quarter of what the men earn for the World Cup, for the same achievement. There needs to be change on a larger scale.

But, the situation is far worse in some developing countries. The Jamaican women’s national team, known as the Reggae Girlz, had to start a GoFundMe to afford their trip to Australia. The South African team, Banyana Banyana, refused to play in their final lead-up match to the World Cup. Nigeria’s coach, Randy Waldrum, has had to openly criticise his federation for pocketing the money his players should have been receiving. And this isn’t even touching on the abuse that many female athletes receive.

One in three women has experienced physical or sexual abuse in their lifetime, according to a 2018 survey from the World Health Organisation. That is approximately 736 million people. The problem worsens when one looks at athletes. Twenty out of 211 national football federations have active complaints from the players about sexual abuse.

Above: Left to right – Grace Gill, Craig Foster, and Genevieve Henry at the event on Thursday. Photo supplied to Impetus by: UNSW Australian Human Rights Institute.

Far too many women and girls have been abused in a sporting environment. It is baked into the culture. The head coach of the Zambian Women’s National Team has had repeated complaints about him from players. But nothing has been done. The former Haitian coach would frequently assault and abuse his players. Players shared that there were many witnesses, but none said a word. Most players don’t even report misconduct, for fear of jeopardizing their spot on the team.

Kate Gill and the PFA are working on fixing the system, but when there is little to no infrastructure to assist players in dealing with abuse, it’s an uphill battle. “It’s an education process for [athletes], to be able to identify these behaviours that are inappropriate and to be able to assist others that have been exposed to these behaviours.” Gill spoke of how useful unions are in securing the rights players deserve, saying that, “collective bargaining has played a huge role in getting the Matildas to where they are”. 

Women deserve a professional environment, with proper equipment, fair resources, and professional treatment. Without these, female athletes are not safe. It is strongly felt that FIFA is not doing enough to protect them and their human right to participate in sport.

One of the key themes raised was the feeling that FIFA does not put human rights first. As Craig Foster put it, “Sport is in a position where it doesn’t want to put any sponsors, host countries, stakeholders, or anyone else in a position of discomfort”. FIFA puts out statements that could be best described as vague about respect and unity.

Even in this World Cup, FIFA used first nations symbols and designs to promote the tournament. Every game included a welcome to country conducted by the appropriate first nations elders. The traditional owners of the lands that games were played on were recognised. But FIFA has yet to show sufficient evidence of supporting Aboriginal and Māori girls in sport. 

Then there was the hosting of the men’s World Cup in Qatar. Migrant workers who were used as modern slaves to build the stadiums died in horrifying numbers. Indeed, according to figures provided by the Qatari government themselves, nearly 16,000 people lost their lives constructing these stadiums, with causes ranging from heat stress to accidents with equipment.

Foster discussed how even though the players and fans were speaking out and educated on the cause, nothing was changing. He said, “There is literally blood in the field. The field has actually been built on dead bodies.” Corporations need to comply with human rights framework in order for a difference to be made. 

Among all of these topics discussed by the panel of experts, the common theme was that corporations and organisations need to fund sport in a more proactive way, assuring that the money they earn and spend goes towards issues that actually matter and the athletes that deserve that money. 

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Four clubs announce A-League Women signings

18/8/23

Above: Millie Farrow in action during her time with Bristol City. Photo: The FA.

Perth Glory yesterday announced the signing of English forward Millie Farrow for the 2023/24 season.

The 27-year-old brings a wealth of top-flight experience from England where she represented Chelsea, Bristol City, Reading, Leicester City, and Crystal Palace and has most recently played in the US for NWSL outfit, North Carolina Courage.

A former England Under-19 and Under-23 international, she was a part of the Chelsea squad which completed the FA Women’s Super League and Women’s FA Cup double in 2015 and collected an FA Women’s Championship winners’ medal with Leicester City in 2021.

Farrow is now looking forward to embarking upon a new football journey in Western Australia.

“After talking with [Head Coach] Alex [Epakis] and hearing the ambitions and values of the club, I felt it was the perfect fit,” she said.

“It’s a very exciting opportunity and I can’t wait to meet everyone and get started. Personally, I’m determined to help the team in any way possible to reach their objectives. I’m hungry and ready to play some football in the sun!”

Epakis, meanwhile, believes that the new recruit has the potential to make a major impact on the ALW competition.

“Millie is another attack-minded player who has great finishing ability and speed to run beyond lines,” he said.

“She has an impressive history of being part of some great teams in Europe, with the England youth set-up, and in the US. She is a mature and well-rounded individual who will add some strong football experience into the team.

“Her partnership with our other attacking players is something that excites me a lot because we want to be an attack-focused team with different scoring options. Millie has an impressive and inspiring story away from football and she will no doubt prove to be a great mentor and leader within the group.”

Above: Back for another season in Brisbane – Hollue Palmer (right). Photo: Brisbane Roar.

Also yesterday, Brisbane Roar announce the re-signing of midfielder Hollie Palmer for the upcoming season. 

Palmer made her top-flight debut with the Roar as a 16-year-old in October 2017 after coming onto the field as a substitute in the 3-1 victory over Sydney FC. In April 2019, Palmer was named in the Young Matilda’s 23-player squad for the 2019 AFC U-19 Women’s Championship where she played four games in the tournament.

Born in Brisbane, the former Young Footballer of the Year nominee made 27 appearances across a three-season period before moving to Melbourne City for a season.  

She returned to Brisbane Roar in the 2021/2022 Liberty A-League season at a time where Roar Head Coach Garrath McPherson was focused on cementing a strong Queensland core within his squad. Now approaching her fourth season with the Roar, the midfielder is excited to continue playing in her home state and developing as a player. 

“I’m excited, I grew up playing in Queensland so, it’s nice to be able to sign for my home state again,” Palmer said. 

“There are parts of my game that I can see improvements on, but I still think I’ve got a bit to go, and I want to keep developing so I’ll be doing that this season,” she added.  “We want to make finals; it would be a dream to win the Premiership and the Championship so that’s definitely the goal.”

Head Coach Garrath McPherson looks forward to what Palmer can bring to the squad this season with her mindset and confidence on and off the field. 

“Hollie is a strong, confident midfielder who is free from injury and ready to rumble! I am most proud of the growth mindset she possesses. She is hungry for feedback and always looking to get the most out of her training. Over the past two seasons, it has been wonderful to see her using this mindset in areas outside of technical and tactical areas,” McPherson said. 

“Hollie is a wonderful ball-playing midfielder who technically stacks up with the League’s best. We’ve seen her create and score some wonderful goals, and it’s in these areas that we will see her shine this season, a stronger and more confident footballer,” he added. 

Above: Taren King – the former Newcastle Jets star has moved to Central Coast Mariners. Photo: Newcastle Herald.

Central Coast Mariners announced earlier today the signing of experienced defender Taren King for the upcoming 2023/24 A-League season.

The 26-year-old makes the trip down the F3 having spent the last three seasons with Newcastle Jets, playing 34 times for our rivals.

King started her A-League Women’s career with Canberra United, joining the club as a trialist at the beginning of the 2017/18 season. After impressing she ultimately spent three seasons with and made 22 appearances for Canberra, before making the switch to Newcastle.

The defender immediately became a crucial cog in their defence, starting in all of the 34 matches she played for the club. King has currently featured in 66 Liberty A-League games, looking to grow that number this season.

The 26-year-old has also spent considerable time working under Central Coast Mariners Head Coach Emily Husband at Sydney University, winning the premiership with the squad last season.

Husband is extremely excited to have King on board for the upcoming campaign, seeing the experienced defender as an extremely valuable addition. “I am thrilled to have been able to sign Taren to the squad for the upcoming campaign.

“Having someone with the experience that Taren has in the A-League is really important to help guide the players around her as we join the competition this season,” Husband said.

“She will bring stability to the defence, she is good in the air and reads the play well. She is also an awesome human and individual so she will bring loads of positivity into the group.”

King is thrilled to be a Mariner this season, eager to get the campaign started. “I am extremely excited, obviously it is a new challenge with a brand new squad coming together as the Mariners join the competition. It is an exciting prospect for a player to make history with the team coming into the A-League Women’s.

“I have been in the league for quite a few years now so I will bring some experience and communication skills from the back,” King said.

Above: Mariana Speckmaier in action for Venezuela. Photo: Livinotinto.

Wellington Phoenix have added some international quality to their frontline for the 2023-24 A-League with the arrival of pacey striker Mariana Speckmaier for the upcoming season.

Speckmaier, 25, has been capped 12 times by Venezuela since 2021 and was recently on a national team replacement contract with the Washington Spirit in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

Phoenix head coach Paul Temple believes she is the perfect fit. “We’ve talked from day one about bringing in a striker and a number nine who can help the team in the attacking space,” Temple said. “We were always looking for the right person and feel Mariana is the right person.

“I didn’t just want somebody that could hold the ball up and finish in the box. I wanted somebody who could do that but also be good at pressing from the front and can run into the spaces in behind.

“She’s got speed and athleticism, but is still technically good, and still is hungry to make that next step. Mariana knows exactly what she wants. She’s quite mature about her career, where she wants to go, and is driven. I feel like that’s an attribute that will really help, not just her individually, but the team.”

Speckmaier signed off from the Washington Spirit with a stunning stoppage-time winner against the Orlando Pride in their final NWSL Challenge Cup match earlier this month.

“Mariana knows what it’s like to score in high-profile games and she’s played in one of the best competitions in the world. She scored a bit of a wonder goal the other week, which gets me excited because it shows the quality that she has.

“Our fans too can now start getting excited because we’ve brought in some really high-quality players to complement the talented core we’ve re-signed, and I think it sends a message as to where we want to go.

“With Hope Breslin and the other forwards we’ve signed we’re starting to look a lot stronger from an attacking sense. Hopefully that leads to a high amount of interest in the team and getting people to come to the games and to watch us play.”

Mariana Speckmaier believes she can be a regular goal scorer for the Nix. “I think that’s definitely the idea,” Speckmaier said. “I would love to be that for the team. Just to help the Phoenix team succeed would be great for me, and I want to help the club in any way that I can.

“I’m excited to come in and take the striker role. I played a lot of nine at college and throughout the last few years as a pro, so I’m definitely very comfortable in that position.

“I wouldn’t say I’m your typical nine size-wise, but I love playing in that spot.”

Speckmaier has been on “an interesting road” since. She didn’t play for Washington as much as she had hoped in her rookie season so signed with CSKA Moscow early last year.

“I was with the team in Turkey, where they were doing pre-season but then the war in Ukraine broke out so I told the team I wasn’t going back to Russia with them.”

She then joined Valur in Iceland for the 2022-23 season. “It was super cool to live in Reykjavik. It was really cold, which is not something I’m used to, but it was cool to experience a different type of living situation and Iceland is a beautiful country.

The move to Wellington proved to be an easy decision for Speckmaier to commit to moving to another corner of the globe.

“I grew up in Miami so I’ve been around different cultures my whole life. “My family is from all over so being in different parts of the world excites me more than it scares me. I’m always up for a change to experience other cultures.”

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Norfolk Weekly Round-Up

Darrell Allen is back with the first of his detailed weekly reviews of the women’s football scene in the country of Norfolk (17/8/23).

Above: Rebekah Lake fires the ball over Yaxley Phoenix goalkeeper Kira Markwell to score Mulbarton Wanderers’ first ever goal in Tier Six. Photo: Ben Cunningham.

Match of the Weekend

Eastern Region Division One North

Mulbarton Wanderers 4-3 Yaxley Phoenix

Mulbarton Wanderers made a victorious start to life in the Tier Six, Eastern Region Division One North in a game that was closer than it should have been.

Mulbarton started at a frenetic pace, an exquisite ball from Samantha Walker found Rebekkah Lake but new Yaxley goalkeeper (the highly experienced former Tier four player Kira Markwell) saved well. But Mulbarton meant business and a great ball from Ellie Hunter soon after found Lake once more but this time her curling shot hit the post.

Yaxley began to have their own moments going forward but found Mulbarton defender Megan Belsey in the way on a couple of occasions so there was no way through to the Mulbarton goal.

Mulbarton finally got a deserved lead when a super ball from Hunter found Lake, who chipped Markwell to register Mulbarton’s first-ever goal in Tier Six.

Mulbarton had just the one at Half time but could have been out of sight. Lake found Walker just before the break but the ball stuck under her feet and was unable to get the shot at goal from just a couple of yards out.

Mulbarton started the second half of the game with the same intent as the first, Walker found Lake who wellied it in for her and Mulbarton’s second of the afternoon.

Above: Samantha Walker was inspirational all afternoon for Mulbarton and deservedly claimed their Player of the Match award.Photo: Ben Cunningham.

A flash moment in the contest came when Yaxley’s Alexa Hunter was sent off for foul and abusive language towards match referee Daniel Bird. Hunter has previous disciplinary issues against Mulbarton, having been sent off whilst playing for King’s Lynn Town against Mulbarton in Mulbarton’s victory at Kings Lynn in the Norfolk Women’s Cup Semi Final in March 2022.

You would have thought that would have been the end of Yaxley’s hopes for the afternoon but the Red Card to Hunter seemed to wake the rest of her teammates up, who upped their game whilst playing with only 10.

Andrea Oliviera halved the scoreline and gave Yaxley hope 20 minutes from time and the game then descended into absolute drama until its conclusion. Lake should have had her hat-trick for Mulbarton when she received a ball from Laura Hedtke only to put her chance wide.

Walker was then through on goal but was denied superbly by the legs of Kiera Markwell who performed inspirationally in the Yaxley Phoenix goal all afternoon.  Mulbarton did then re-store their two goal lead when Rebekah Lake found Lanta Griffth who tapped in for the hosts’ third.

Yaxley came back for more in a game you could not take your eyes off. Katie Steward was denied superbly by Jody Todd in the Mulbarton goal before Steward did score with a fantastic clipped finish into the net.

That wasn’t the end of the scoring as a topsy turvy finale saw Beth Edwards finish after being assisted by Alice Ladbrooke as Mulbarton again re-stored their two goal lead. Codie Steward received a wonderful ball to again half the deficit but Mulbarton got over the line to claim a 4-3 victory.

Above: Beth Edwards scored Mulbarton’s final goal of the afternoon in their 4-3 win for Yaxley Phoneix on Sunday. Photo: Ben Cunningham.

A great win for Mulbarton which will give them confidence heading into a tricky trip to Newmarket Town on Sunday.

Teams: MULBARTON WANDERERS: Todd, Belsey, Belsey, Brown, Bumstead, Hedtke, Hunter, Jermy, Lake, Mungham-Gray, Walker. Subs: Edwards, Griffith, Ladbrooke, Spurrell.

Scorers: Lake (2), Edwards, Griffith.

YAXLEY PHOENIX: Markwell, Barhoumi, Frederick, Hatfield, Hunter, Kulesza, Loveridge, Newman, Oliveira, C.Steward, K.Steward. Subs: Cockel, Scott, Willis.

Scorers: Oliveira, K.Steward, C.Steward.

Referee: Daniel Bird.

Attendance: 44.

Norfolk Wrap

Eastern Region Premier Division

Adam Race made a winning start as manager of the Yachtswomen as Wroxham were 12-0 winners at King’s Lynn Town thanks to four goals from Hannah Fuller, a brace from Luci Middleton, and other goals were scored by Holly Connell, Ella Gambell, Tigi Robson, Rebecca Russell, Lauren Bullard, and an own goal.

Above: Hannah Waters scored four goals in Wroxham’s magnificent 12-0 victory over King’s Lynn Town on Sunday to give Adam Race victory in his first game in charge. Photo: Tim Smith.

Eastern Region Division One North

Dussindale and Hellesdon Rovers made an eye-catching start as they thrashed last season’s Tier Six North runners up Biggleswade United. Two goals each from Victoria Leyer and Abby Hutchin plus one from Chelsea Brister saw Adrian Tink’s side claim an extraordinary opening-day win.

Fakenham Town were also winners with a 5-3 home success over Wooten Blue Cross, Chloe Gravett and Rochelle Woods scored a two each with Jemma Riches getting the other goal. A brace from Kelly Sutton and a goal from Nicola Henman were the visitor’s scorers. It was a fine start to Fakneham Town’s second season at this level.

Thetford Town produced a sensational 6-0 win at St. Ives Town. Thetford who finished third in the Tier Seven Norfolk Women and Girls League last season, dominated their opponents from start to finish with four goals from Kamile Omeleviciute and two from experienced Tier Six star Jordan Sillitoe on her debut saw Luke Pickford and Amber Browne’s side claim an impressive opening day win against St Ives who finished third last year.

All in all, an impressive opening day for many of Norfolk’s teams.

Above: Smiles all round for Thetford Town as they beat St Ives Town 6-0 in their opening Eastern Region Division One North game. Photo: Thetford Town Ladies FC.

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Four clubs and six players: A-League Women signing news

There have been a number of new signings announced across the A-League Women over the past couple of days (17/8/23).

Above: Alana Jancevski’s arrival at Adelaide United is exciting news for the South Australian club’s fans. Photo: Tom McCarthy.

Adelaide United

Skilful attacker, Alana Jancevski, has made the switch to Adelaide United for the upcoming 2023/24 season.

The 20-year-old has spent the last two years with Perth Glory, where she scored five goals from nine starts.

Jancevski’s curling 25-yard free-kick against Western United in a 3-1 win was shortlisted for Goal of the Season at the 2023 Dolan Warren Awards after it was declared Goal of the Month for February.

Born in Victoria, Jancevski’s first Club was Bundoora United in Melbourne’s north-east, and she worked her way up to the Junior Matildas in 2018/2019 – a period that saw her score a memorable goal for her country against Thailand. 

Head Coach, Adrian Stenta, said: “We are really thrilled to be adding Alana to our squad as she’s someone who has impressed us for a while now. She fits the mould as a player and person, with a sound technical ability and ‘team-first’ mentality, and we can’t wait for pre-season to get started and for Alana to begin gelling with the team. We’re looking forward to her continued progress and believe she can be a real asset and source of goals for us this season.”

Revered as a strong, technical player with a deft left foot and touch, Jancevski hopes to add to United’s firepower in front of goal.

“Adelaide was a promising club for me and what I feel is the right move at this time to progress my career,” Jancevski said. “In chatting with Adrian (Stenta) I really got a sense of the culture he’s helped create and you hear this around the league as well – it’s a family here and that’s very important to me.

“I’m really looking forward to joining my new teammates and linking up with players like Nano (Nanako Sasaki) and I think we can form a great partnership. I love to win and help the team as best as I can through scoring or assisting, so it’s a real goal of mine to help this team make Finals again and deliver team success.”

Jancevski is currently playing with Bulleen Lions in NPLW Victoria, with her six goals from 12 games helping her side to second place on the table.

Brisbane Roar
Above: Mariel Hecher – Brisbane Roar’s vice-captain for 2023/24. Photo: Brisbane Roar.

Brisbane have announced three players in the last two days starting with the return of Mariel Hecher to the squad as its A-League Vice-Captain ahead of the 2023/24 season. 

Hecher returns to the Roar for her fourth Liberty A-League season, after overcoming an ACL injury that she acquired in December 2022 in Brisbane’s clash against Western Sydney Wanderers. 

Since joining the Roar for the 2020/2021 campaign, the Brazilian has made 29 appearances and scored six goals in that time, looking for more in her return to the field this season. 

Hecher is excited to be returning for another season, taking on the Vice-Captain role for the first time alongside Captain Ayesha Norrie. Though being Norrie’s third time as captain, Hecher looks forward to showcasing her leadership by fulfilling the role that Matilda’s star Katrina Gorry previously filled for two seasons prior. 

“I’m pretty excited, I’m always happy to play at home and represent the state again and play for the Roar,” Hecher said. 

“I feel like there’s big shoes to fill, replacing Katrina (Gorry). Not big in size, but definitely big in experience. It’s going to be a great challenge, I’m excited to share the role with Ayesha, I’m going to learn a lot and hopefully, we can help each other be better for the team,” she added. 

Coming back from injury, the 30-year-old will be determined to bounce back to the fine form she was in prior to her ACL rupture.

“I want to return to sport as soon as possible, coming back from my ACL, my main goal is to be back on the field helping the team,” she said. “I think most of us have been playing together for one or two seasons now, I think we can go for a more successful season this year.”

Hecher has high hopes for the season ahead and wants to bring the only A-League club in Queensland back to where it belongs, particularly there are such a number of Queenslanders present in the Matilda’s squad. 

“As a team, we want to do better. We want to make finals; we want to bring Queensland back on the national stage and represent this state that has such good talent,” she said. “You see in the Matilda’s, there’s so many Queenslanders, we just want to make Queensland the powerhouse of football again.”

Head Coach Garrath McPherson is looking forward to Hecher bringing her energy and enthusiasm to the squad again this season. 

“Mariel has been a tremendous player for the club for the past three seasons now and we were devastated to lose her in the early stages of the last campaign,” McPherson said. 

“She brings so much energy and enthusiasm to everything she does, and she should be proud of the role she played in the background last season after her injury. The whole team is looking forward to having her back on the pitch, creating and scoring goals!” 

McPherson believes together, Norrie and Hecher will be role models for the younger players as they look to lead their squad through a successful season. 

“They both have had incredibly different journeys to this point of their careers and their experiences so far are invaluable for the group. For the younger players on our roster, they are role models and a support network to help them navigate life as a professional footballer.” 

Above: Keeley Richards in action during her time at Canberra United. Photo: Canberra Times.

Next to be announced by the Queenslanders was goalkeeper Keeley Richards, who was at Canberra United last season.

Brisbane-born and raised; Richards made her top-flight debut with Canberra United in Round 5 of the 2020/21 season which saw her go on to play two more campaigns in the capital. 

The 28-year-old has made 20 appearances in her time there, making 68 saves, and will look to build on that in Brisbane. With her athletic ability and shot-stopping talent, Richards is set to be a valuable asset to the squad as she makes the trip north to join the Roar. 

“I’m very excited, being from Brisbane, I grew up here, the chance to play at home in front of friends and family will be great,” Richards said. 

“We want to go as far as possible. The Roar has always been that strong and competitive side and it will be nice to get them back up there where they belong,” she added. 

Head Coach Garrath McPherson looks forward to welcoming Richards to the Roar with her selfless nature and her skillset in goals. 

“Keeley brings multiple seasons of ALW experience to our goalkeeping unit. Anyone that has had the opportunity to stand side by side with her will tell you how selfless she is, always putting the team first. This is a unique trait and one that will make for a seamless transition into orange,” McPherson said. 

“One of our key areas for growth is consistency across a long campaign. This requires turning up every day to be the best we can be,” he added. 

“Keeley is a professional who has been in the competition for a number of years and to do so takes a particular mindset. This mindset will be an asset for us in achieving our goals.”

Above: Junior Matildas captain Ruby Cuthbert in action. Photo: NT News.

Brisbane’s final capture is the hugely talented Western Australian teenager Ruby Cuthbert, the Junior Matildas’ captain who is currently playing for the Hyundai NTC in the NPLW WA on a three-year deal.

Born and raised in Fremantle, Cuthbert started her football journey at Fremantle City in the Boys Academy before joining Murdoch University Melville FC’s Women’s team, then spent time at the National Training Centre (NTC) in Western Australia until now. 

Cuthbert is part of the Junior Matilda’s and in November 2022, captained the Australian U17 Women’s team in a match against South Korea. The 16-year-old is an ambitious youngster that looks forward to the experience of playing in the Liberty A-League and at Queensland’s only A-League club. 

“It’s going to be amazing; it’s going to be such a good experience for me being young, such a good opportunity to explore Australia,” Cuthbert said. 

“I’m looking forward to playing with some amazing teammates and good staff and great facilities,” she added. 

“I can’t wait to meet new players and push myself to be the best I can be, I think it’s going to be a really exciting year to be part of a big club with big history and the community that they’ve created is awesome.” 

Head Coach Garrath McPherson spoke about Cuthbert’s style of play and the qualities that brought her to the Roar. 

“For a young centre-back, the communication and organisation of the players around her is something that I believe sets her apart from her peers. She has an excellent range of passing on both feet and this allows her to be deployed in a range of systems,” McPherson said. 

Captaining the U17 Australian Women’s team, revealed traits of hers that McPherson believes will be beneficial to the squad this season.

“To be chosen as a leader is afforded to those unique individuals who are selfless and empathetic. To have these character traits and be confident in using them shows maturity beyond her years. These will be wonderful qualities for our locker room,” he said. 

McPherson looks forward to being part of the start of her football career to help develop her as a professional in the coming years. 

“Ruby is a player who we see having a bright future in the game. She has committed to our club for the next chapter in her journey and our role is to support her to grow into a senior footballer over the next three years.”

Newcastle Jets
Above: Alex Huynh, seen here during her last spell in the A-League Women with Western Sydney Wanderers. Photo: Western Sydney Wanderers.

The Jets yesterday announced the signing of Matildas representative Alex Huynh for the 2023/24 A-League Women’s season.

Huynh who plays as a defender is currently competing with Macarthur Rams in the NSW NPL. She started her career playing for Marconi Stallions in the NPL and has previously represented the Jets from 2010-2012. Huynh joined the Western Sydney Wanderers for the 2012/2013 campaign before heading over to the USA in 2013 to play for Colorado Buffaloes and Troy Trojans.

The former Marconi junior tested herself overseas in 2020 by playing for Napoli Femminile in Italy before moving to Denmark and signing for Fortuna Hjørring in 2021. It was during this time that Huynh was called up to the Matildas for a friendly match against Germany where she featured in the match.

Huynh is excited to return to the club where she made her A-League debut. “I’m excited to return to Newcastle and represent this great region once again. This is where my career started and I want to give back to this club.”

Wellington Phoenix
Above: Macey Fraser speaks to the media upon signing a pro-deal with Wellington Phoenix. Image: Wellington Phoenix.

Wellington Phoenix have signed Macey Fraser to the longest contract in the women’s team’s short history.

The attacking midfielder has committed to the Phoenix for the next three Liberty A-League seasons. Fraser, 21, is in her third year at the club’s academy and has been a key member of the women’s reserves for the past two seasons, initially playing under new head coach Paul Temple.

“It’s a really cool feeling to sign my first pro contract,” she said. “I’m so grateful to Paul for giving me the opportunity, and I can’t wait to get started and do as well as I can for the Phoenix.

“When I came into the academy Paul sat down with me and asked what I wanted to do, and I said be a professional footballer. He said ‘okay, let’s do it’. “He’s been such a big help to me and my skills as a player and as a person. 

Fraser was part of the history-making New Zealand squad that finished third at the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay, along with Phoenix regulars Mackenzie Barry, Grace Wisnewski, and Marisa van der Meer. “The under-17 World Cup was one of the best times of my life. It was such a cool trip and to come third and make some history was pretty awesome too.”

She also attended the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica, alongside Wisnewski and van der Meer, and founding Nix squad members Kate Taylor, Alyssa Whinham, and Brianna Edwards.

“I’m quite close with a lot of those girls so it will be so cool to be training with them again.”

Fraser has had to wait a little longer than a number of her national age-group team-mates to get an opportunity in the professional ranks.“Everyone has a different journey and this is mine. I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s made me grow as a person and I’m just so excited to finally be signing a professional contract. I’ve been working hard for a number of years now and I think it’s finally my time to show what I can do.”

Fraser’s footballing journey started in north Canterbury, where she played with her two older brothers in the backyard before joining Waimakariri United. She was on Paul Temple’s radar well before joining him at the academy.

“For a number of years Macey has been somebody that a lot of people have regarded as a super young talent coming through the system in New Zealand,” Temple said.

Above: Nix head coach Paul Temple speaks of his excitement at Macey Fraser’s potential. Image: Wellington Phoenix.

“I remember watching her play futsal for Canterbury a number of years ago at the ASB Centre in Wellington and thinking ‘wow, this kid is pretty special. Who’s she?’ Macey’s talent has always shone through. For her it was about finding a home where she was comfortable and that she could be consistent with what she does. 

“Over the last two years she’s been fantastic in terms of her commitment to becoming better on and off the pitch in all aspects of her game. She’s really matured as a person and as a footballer.”

He believes Phoenix “fans will love her”. “Macey’s really good to watch. She’s technically one of the better players I’ve worked with, and she’s got goals in her. She scored a number of goals for the reserves team from midfield so she’s a goalscoring midfielder, which is great for us and the team. 

“I think the contract length shows everybody how serious we are about her and how much we see her as part of the future.”

Fraser already has a big following on TikTok because of her footballing skills. “I know a lot of the younger academy girls idolise her in terms of this technical player that can do things with the ball that are pretty amazing,” Temple said.

“A lot of the players in the academy will be buzzing for her moving into the first team. Hopefully she can go on and continue to inspire those younger players to follow her pathway and the journey, and what it takes to get there.”

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Matildas post-match media conference coverage

After last night’s World Cup semi-final, Matildas head coach Tony Gustavsson along with players Mary Fowler and Clare Hunt spoke to the media. Ben Gilby reports (17/8/23).

Above: Tony Gustavsson speaking in last night’s post match media conference. Image: Football Australia.

Australia head coach Tony Gustavsson spoke of his immense pride of his team’s achievement this tournament and highlighted the fact that this can be the start of something if there can be increased investment in women’s football in the nation.

The Matildas boss also recognised the tactical plan put in place by England head coach Sarina Wiegman that prevented his team’s transitional game and pacy counter-attacking style from being able to consistently get a foothold in the match.

“It was a wonderful game of football,” he said. “We were up against a world-class team and a world-class coach in Sarina (Wiegman). Both teams nullified each other’s attack in the first half, but we didn’t get our transition game going, they did very well to take that away from us. I don’t think we were brave enough on the ball.

“We told them to release the handbrake at half-time, and it worked. We did a phenomenal second half. Then, in tournament football, it takes only one moment, and England were much more clinical than we were in the finishing tonight. We had three sitters, so to speak, but then, one ball behind, it was 3-1 and game over.”

Gustavsson highlighted the “brutal” nature of the midfield battle that was a key part in deciding the outcome of the semi-final.

“It was lucky we had a referee to protect the players on both teams. There was an interesting tactical battle in there as well – everything from them wanting to close down our left side. England played a lot more transitional than normal. They did so well in the transition and it created their last two goals, their 10 and nine in particular.”

“I am happy that people believed we could win this tournament, and we felt that belief. We’ve had it internally for a long time. Maybe we’re not the highest-ranked team or have the same number of players starting in big teams as England have, maybe we don’t have the same resources, but we have something else. We have what the players bring to this team, we have what it means to be an Aussie and what is in our players’ DNA. This is just the beginning of something.”

Tony Gustavsson, Australia head coach.

With Sam Kerr and her fitness a constant talking point throughout the tournament, the Matildas boss was delighted to be able to speak about another aspect of the star striker – her stunning goal that brought the game level at 1-1 midway through the second half and her ability to create golden opportunities.

“Knowing Sam, she probably thinks (right now) that that goal wasn’t worth nothing. She wants a win, she’s a winner. That goal is proof that she is Sam Kerr. She is upset at the chances she missed, but the fact she was able to play 90 minutes says a lot about her.”

Australia have to rapidly overcome this defeat and move on to Saturday’s third-place play-off against Sweden in Brisbane, revealing what he said to the players in their post match huddle after the match.

“We promised to leave everything out there, and every single player did. The fans see a team that leave everything out there. I told them that we have limited time now (before Saturday’s third-place play-off against Sweden in Brisbane), and if we get too emotionally dragged down, we have no chance in the bronze medal game, so we need to be strong now.”

There has always been a bigger picture for the Matildas under Gustavsson. It’s always been about the long-term, and the end of this World Cup journey is, for him, just the beginning. In order for his team and the country to reach it’s true potential on the football field, he highlighted the necessary further support that Australian football needs.

“They and the generation before worked hard to be in this moment. We are very disappointed that we lost, but there can be a bigger win. This cannot be the end of something, it needs to be the start, and with that comes money as well.”

Above: Mary Fowler speaks to the media after the match. Image: Football Australia.

Whilst there was deep disappointment etched into the Matildas after the match, striker Mary Fowler paid tribute to her team’s achievements and the incredible support they have received.

“It was unreal tonight, just like it’s been for all the games. It’s really nice that even when were down to hear the crowd behind us and really cheer us on. Not many people get the chance to experience that at a home World Cup.”

Reflecting on Sam Kerr’s wonder goal for the Matildas, the Manchester City attacker revealed that she knew that as soon as Kerr picked up the ball, something special was going to happen.

“Sometimes when someone gets the ball, you just know they are going to score and that was one of those moments.”

Fowler ended by emphasising that the team are determined to come back to end the tournament on a high by claiming third place: “We’ve got to get over tonight, as quick as we can. We have to focus on that now as we want to come away with something.”

Above: Clare Hunt speaking after the match. Image: Football Australia.

Australia defender Clare Hunt was clear in her mind about where England won the match.

“They took their chances in the second half, and we got undone by their transition moments. England performed well and capitalised on their chances, so congratulations to them.”

She also spoke of the challenge facing the side now to get over such a defeat and return to action in just two days: “The mentality is to process this as soon as we can and shift to focus on how we can beat Sweden.”

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